The growing importance of alternative energy sources has brought a renewed interest in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis as one of the more attractive direct and environmentally acceptable paths to high quality transportation fuels. The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis involves the production of hydrocarbons by the catalyzed reaction of CO and hydrogen. Commercial plants have operated in Germany, South Africa and other parts of the world based on the use of particular catalysts. The German commercial operation, for example, concentrated on the use of a precipitated cobalt-thoria-kieselguhr fixed-bed catalyst, and a later modification where MgO, for economy reasons, replaced part of the thoria.
Co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 310,969 filed Oct. 13, 1981 entitled "Conversion of Synthesis Gas to Diesel Fuel and Catalyst Therefore" to H. E. Beuther, C. L. Kibby, T. P. Kobylinski and R. B. Pannell, which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a catalyst containing cobalt and a Group IIIB or IVB metal oxide supported on gamma and/or eta alumina for the conversion of synthesis gas to diesel fuel in which the catalyst is produced by using a nonaqueous, organic solvent impregnation solution. The procedure described therein produced very active catalyst. However, when high cobalt loadings are utilized, there is a tendency for the support particles to agglomerate, which could provide problems when using the catalyst in a fluidized bed.